Electric driving mechanism



June 23, 1931. A. H. NEUREUTHER ,811,

ELECTRIC DRIVING MECHANISM Filed May 31, 1927 Patented June 23, 1931 ems STATES PATENT OFFICE ANDREW H. NEUREUTHER, OF PERU, ILLENOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN CLOCK COM- PANY, OF PERU, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ELECTRIC DRIVING ll/IEGI-IAIISTI SM Application filed May 31, 1927. Serial No. 195,490.

-My invention relates to electrical driving mechanisms and has-for its object the pro- I duction of a driving mechanism for clocks and similar devices, particularly automobile clocks or clocks that are used on or in connection with apparatus and equipments that already have and use electrical power generating or storing means to operate other electrical devlces on same and where a com- I sally used.

fmeans'to be used as required in the device driven by it.

A further object of my invention is to overcome the difficulties that beforemy invention made such clocks impractical because the large currents necessary to operate them at the usual low voltages employed on such mediums always burnt up or damaged the current closing and breaking contact points so that after a very-short period of operation they'would weld together and stick or OXldize and fail to conduct the currents even.

7 ing device in which thesaid contacts are made with a definite decided wiping or sliding motion, whlch motion 1s continued for a definite distance after the contact is made lnsuring a continuous cleanly wiped, practically polished contacting surface enabling the use of ordinary commercial metals thereby producing a substantial lasting and practical device which because of this and its simple construction is very inexpensive to produce.

Another object of my invention is to produce such a driving mechanism that will be sufficiently rugged and definitely positive in operation so that it will meet the severe requirements necessary in automobile service. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view of one of my driving mechanisms looking at it from the rear and having suificient' of the rear plate removed to show the operative mechanism with the armature of the magnet in its highest position and ready to be actuated by the magnet. 1

Fig. 2 is a similar view of my driving mechanism showing the armature of the magnet approaching its lowest position after it has been actuated by the magnet.

Fig. 3 is a view of a modification of my driving mechanism showing same in a view similar to the view shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: shows a top view of the contact mechanism wherein the electrical contact is made by the side wiping of the contacting members instead of making the contact on the rear and front of the contactingniembers respectively.

Fig 5 is 'a top view of Fig. 2 showing my driving mechanism attached to a clock or time indicating device. 7

Similar numerals represent the same parts through the several views.

In the drawings, 1 represents one plate and 2 the other plate of a containing frame of my driving mechanism as shown which plates are suitably spaced and fastened together by means of pillar posts 3. Said plates 1 and 2 each have an aperture adjacent to or at their centers in and through which is j ournaled an wheel Shaving a suitable number of teeth 7 which teeth 7 are in continuous enga ement with a suitably shaped floating pawl which is pivotally mounted on the arm 10 of a suitably shaped armature 9 by means of a pin or bolt 11. Pawl 8 has a projecting hook 12 to which is 'attached a suitably formedspring 13 whose opposite end is 'fastenedto bolt 14 which is suitably mountedin an aperture in a member15 projecting from eitherione of said plates, by means of the nuts 16shown.

It is evident that the tension of said spring 13 keeps the pawl 8 in continuous engagement with the teeth 7 of ratchet wheel 6 and it is further evident that the tension of said spring 13 can be controlled by meansof the bolt 14 v and the nuts 16. A pawl 43 adjacent to rat formed on one edge has a'shorter arm 17' eachone fastened to one of the plates 1 and 2 or 18can be a'rod passing through apertures i'chet wheel 6 engaging teeth 7 is pivotallyconnected to'the plate 2 by means of a pin 44 and said pawl 43 is held in engagement with said teeth 7 by means of the spring fastened to s'aidplate 2as shown. Said pawl 43 keeps. ratchet wheelfrom go ng backwards during the changing of the power storing mechanism. The armature 9 n addition to the arm 10 formed on the other edge opposite to the arm 10. Arms" 10 and 17 have the apertures shown adjacent to the body part of armature 9 'in'which apertures are journaled pins 18 i in plates 1 and 2'and the apertures in said arm's17 and 10, dependingrather upon the facility for assembling or putting the parts of the'device'together.

' Formed integrally with and projecting upwardly from the edges of armature9 are the lugs 19 each havmgan aperture as shown in whlch 1's ournaled an arbor '20 havmga head 21. 0n the endof arbor 2O opposite I head 21' is fastened a suitably shaped plate ditional member 26 preferably formed in tegrally with it at a point adjacent to slot 22 having a slot or elongated aperture 23 in its forward end and a similar slot or elongated aperture *24 on its rearward end as shown:-

Member 22 also has formed integrally with it a projection 25.- Armature 9 also has an ad- 24 in member 22 and 26 has the aperture shown in which is fastened a stop pin 27 which pin 27 'proj ects into the slot 24 and thus limits angular distance the me'mbe'r' 22 can rotate on the arbor 20. Projecting from and preferably formed integrally with armature 9' isame'mber '28 having an aperture 29 V in whichis pivot-ally fastened one end of a "suitably shaped s ringer) the other en'd'o'f which is "similarly lpivotally "fastened to a projection or join 31 fastened to the "above mentioned pivotally mounted member 22. The spring 30 can be a coiled spring or any of the usual springs well known and used inthe art and the fastening or connection used on member 28 and member-22'will register with the type of spring used. The only requirement of the springiis that it will operate to pull the part 31 toward the projection '28 Part 31 on member 22 is located to the right of the arbor or pivot 20iand the projection 28 is located to the left of said arbor or pivot 20 and the spring 30 operates to pull part 31 toward projection 28; and furtherthe piv- V oted point 20 when member 22 isin its central position is located on the line from the center of aperture 29 and the center of pin 31. It is evident from these located points and the spring pull as above mentioned that when pin 31 moves out of said v central, position and reaches a point above said central line the member 22 will be snapped or quickly rotated to the left (counterclockwise) until theupper Side or limiting part of slot 24'co'mes' against the pin or part 27 and the part 25 of member 22 is in the position shown in Fig; 2 and completely away from its component contac'ting member 32. Should it be found more convenient to locate the pin or part- 31 to the left of the arbor 20 thenit is evident that the spring 30 can be of anytype that will push (act by compressioninsteadpf tension) instead of pulling as above mentioned, the idea being to locate the point of application 31 and the'type of spring '30'so that the member 22 will be suitably partially rotated around the arbor 2O whenever the center of part-31 passes beyond either side of the above mentioned 'centrallinefrom the center of aperture 29 and the center or arbor 20. This contacting member 32; is preferably formed of resilent electrical conducting i'material.

which is mounted on plate 1 as shown but electrically insulated therefrom by meansof the insulating material 33 and is electrically connected with the winding wire 35 on the electro-magnets36 by means ofia conducting wire 34. The winding wire 35 is conn'ectedfto an electrical connecting post 37 'onpla te 2 *by means of a wire 38,- as shown. Post 37 is electrically insulated from the plate 2'by any of the usual insulating mediums used in the art and saidp'ost37 is always connected to one of the wires from the electrical source of current, 'theLcurren't circuit being 'completed'by connecting or grounding the other wire from the electrical source of power 7 to the plates 1 or 2'ofthe framework and as all the parts above described are formed'of metal and-conduct electricity it is evident that i'ffany part ofthe armature 9 or fits appendages such; as projecting member25 comes lnto contact with the'component or co-operating'contact memberf32 the electrical current will flowthrough the magnet and cause the armature 9 to be drawn toward it, and rotate said armature 9 on the pivot or arbor 18, which in turn stretches the spring 13 storing the power or force exerted by the magnet and as soon as theelectrical current 'are in contact it is evident that because of the sliding motion produced by the movement of projection on said member 32 the point of contact will always be wiped clean and be bright so thatthe electrical contact and conduction will be maintained perfeet at all times.

Fastened to one of the plates 1 or 2, or both of said plates, is a pin or rod 39 which is suitably located so-that it passes through the slot 23 at such a point so that as power spring 13 shortens and gives out its power to arbor 4 allowing the armature 9 and pivoted part 22 to'ris'e until the lower or limiting edge of slot23 comesv against pin 39 where as the armature 9 continues to rise the'pivotally mounted member 22' starts to rotate in right hand or clock wise direction'until the pin 31 reaches a point sufliciently below the center line through centers of arbor 20 and aperture 29 when the spring 30 snaps member 22 around so that projection 25 engages its component and co-operating mem ber 32, which closes the circuit which energizes the electro-magnet which immediately pulls the armature and the above mentioned member 22 downwardly toward the magnet so thatthe upper or limiting side of the slot 7 23 strikes the pin 39 (the slot 23 also being suiiiciently wider than the diameter of'the pin to permit a considerably reasonable "amountof motion before the upper side of the slot strikes the pin: 39) keeping the contacts mentioned together untilthe magnet has been 7 energized sufliciently long to permit the required motion of the armature and give it sufficient momentum to carry it onward until the plvotedmember 22 is rotated 1n counterclock-wis'e direction (or to the left in its upper part) sufficiently so that the pin 31 is brought far enough above the central line from centers of arbor 20 and aperture 29 to cause the spring'30 to snap it into the position shown in Fig. 2 separating the contacting parts 25 and 32 which d-e-energizes the magnet which has just put its power into I spring 13 and permits said spring 13 to again give up its stored power or force to arbor 4 as above mentioned said operation being continued as long as the driving mechanism is connected to a source of electrical current.

V In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the armature 9has a suitably formed projection 40 which may be formed integrally therewith, which projects into the magnetic field of the magnet 36 which magnets are positioned as shown and when energized in the manner above mentioned similarly pull the armature 9 around the pivot 18 and actuate the mechanism all as above described. 41 is a limiting and dampening means which prevents the armature 9 from over traveling when the magnet is energized and breaking the contact operating parts mounted on it as well as to prevent the noise caused by the moving metal parts striking on other surfaces. It is evident that the part 22 can be similarly mounted on armature 9 adjacent to the point where the projection 40 is attached thereto in the same way that it is shown mounted on the armature 9 in Figures 1 and 2 and actuated similarly all as above described 42 is a usual clock or time indicating mechanism. By connecting my mechanism to the shaftthat carries the minute hand and having teeth on the ratchet wheel 6,

it will be seen that the magnet 36 will be energized once each minute, so that the same current that energizes the magnet 36 could also actuate any system of the well known electric secondary clocks, either directly or indirectly by use of a suitable relay.

It is evident from the above description that my driving mechanism is very simple and inexpensive to construct, very durable and easy to maintain and requires only to 'be made of the usual ordinary metals even as to the contact points for the action of the contacting device is extremely quick and snappy in making the initial contact and in the breaking of the circuit and further after L.

the initial contact is made the making contact point. slides along its component and cooperative member thus keeping both contact members wiped and clean for further con tinuous contact operations which make my invention continuously operative at all times because it prevents oxidizing as well as welding and sticking of the contact points which was so much in evidence in electric clocks of this type before my present invention.

It will be understood of course, that while "I havehere shown one form of my invention,

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction shown, but rather to have it taken in a sense illustrative of any or all the forms of same as come fairly within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In a driving mechanism, an electromagnet, an armature mounted adjacent to said magnet, power storing'means connected with and actuated by said armature, a member having a plurality of slots pivotally mounted on said armature, resilient means on said armature for controlling the positions of said memberin combination with a contacting partand external, means in one of-said slots co operating with said resilient means to bring said member into engagement with said contacting part.

- ,QJIn ,a driving mechanism, an electro magnet, an armature mounted adjacent to saidmagnet, power storingmeans connected with and actuated by said armature, a memher having a-plurality of slots pivotally mounted on "said armature, resilient means on said armature for controlling theposltions of saidmember 1n combinatlon with a'contasting-part and external means in'one of said slots co-operating with said resilient means to bring said member into engagement with said contactingpart intermittently.

3. In an appliance of the character described, a frame, an ele'ctro-magnet mounted onsaid frame, an armature pivotally mounted adjacent to said magnet, power storing means connected with and actuated by said armature, a member having a plurality of slots pivotally mounted on, said'armature, resilient means-Ion saidrarmature for controllin'gthe limiting positions of said member, a contacting part on said frame and means on said frame co-acting with said member bringing said member into electrical engagement with said? contacting-part.

4:. Ina driving mechanism, a frame, an electro-magnet mounted onsaid frame, an

jarmature pivotal ymountedadjacent to said magnet, power storing means connected with and actuated; by said armature, a member having a plurality of slots pivotally mounted on said armature, means on said armature co-acting with one of said slots limiting the 'motion of said member, resilient means on said armature for controlling the limiting positions of saidmember, a contacting part 7 mounted' on said'frame but'electrically insulated therefrom. and means on said frame co-acting with said member bringing said member into electrical engagement with said contacting part. a

v 5'. In adrivingmechanism, a frame, an

electro-magnet mounted on said frame, an armature pivotally mounted adjacent to said magnet, powerstoring means connected with and" actuated by saidarmature, a member c'o-actingr with one of said slots limiting the liaving a pluralityof slots pivotallymounted on" said armature,means on said armature motion of'said'member, resilient means on said armature for controlling the limiting positions of said member, a contacting part mounted on said frame but electrically in- "su lated therefrom, andme ans on said frame co-acting with a slot on said member bring- Ping said member into electrical engagement with said contacting part.

6.";In a driving mechanism,'a frame, an

- electro-magnet mounted on said frame, an armature pivotallymounted in saidframe adjacent tosaid magnet, power storing means connected with and aotuated by said armature, a member having'a plurality ofaperturespivotally mounted on said armature, a

pin suitably mounted onisaid armature pro- ,jectin'g into one of said apertures limiting the electromagnet mounted on said frame, an

armature pivotally mounted in saidframe adjacent to said magnet, power storing means connected with and actuated by said armature, a member having a plurality of apertures pivotallymounted on saidjarmature, a pin suitably mounted .on said armature proj ecting into one of said apertures limiting the motion of said member, suitably positioned resilient meanson said armature for bringing said fmemberj against said pin on said armature, a contacting part mounted on said frame but electrically insulated therefrom, a

pin mounted in said frame projecting into one of said apertures on said member co-acting with. said-resilientv means on said armature for bringing said member into electrical engagement with said contactingpart.

8. In a driving mechanism, a frame, an electro-magnet mounted on said frame, an

armature pivotally mounted adj acentto said magnet, power storing means connected with and actuated'by sald armature, a member having a plurality of apertures pivotally mounted on saidarmature,apin mounted on said armature projecting into 7 one of said apertures, resilient means onsaid armature connected to said member, a contacting part mounted on said frame, and mechanism on I said frame engaging one of the apertures on said member coaacting with said resilient means OI1'S2L1Cl armaturebringingsaid member into electrical engagement with said con tacting part maintaining saidengagement for a definite period during the movement of said armature toward said magnet.

'9. In an electric driving mechanism, an electro-magnet, an armature associated with said electromagnet, power storing means associated with said armature, a contacting lever -mounted on said armature, resilient means associated with said lever, a co-operative contacting part co acting with said lever,

an electrical circuit associated with said magnet and-actuating means directly co-a'ctingwith said lever to move said lever relatively to said armature. v r

'10. In an .applianceofithe character \de scribed, a frame, an electro-magnet mounted on said frame, an armature pivotally mounted adjacent to said magnet, power storing means connected with and actuated by said 

